Replacing Cubic Miles of Oil – Ripudaman Malhotra, Ph.D. @ TEAC8

Ripudaman Malhotra, Ph.D., co-author of “Cubic Miles of Oil” ( https://www.amazon.com/Cubic-Mile-Oil… ) follows TEAC7’s introduction ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpXG3… ) of the book with a continued search for energy perspectives which engage the public. 15,000 children (5 and under) die every day of energy poverty. Adequate energy is needed remove the scourge of poverty and provide food, clothing, and shelter for the people around the world, and more will be needed for measures to mitigate the potential effects of climate change such as building dikes and desalinating water. One cubic mile of oil (CMO) corresponds very closely to the world’s current total annual consumption of crude oil. The world’s total annual energy consumption – from all energy sources- is currently 3.0 CMO. By the middle of this century the world will need between 6 and 9 CMO of energy per year to provide for its citizens. A Cubic Mile of Oil describes the various energy sources and how we use them, projects their future contributions, and delineates what it would take to develop them to annually produce a CMO from each of them. Use of CMO eliminates a multitude of units like tons of coal, gallons of oil, and cubic feet of gas; obviates the need for mind-numbing multipliers such as billions, trillions, and quadrillions; and replaces them with an easy-to-understand volumetric unit. It evokes a visceral response and allows experts, policy makers and the general public alike to form a mental picture of the magnitude of the challenge we face. In the absence of an appreciation of the scale of the problem, we risk squandering efforts and resources in pursuing options that will not meet tomorrow’s global energy needs. We must make critical choices, and a common understandable language is essential for a sustained meaningful dialog.